The cosmetics factory where more than 125 people were injured in a deadly explosion Monday has been found to have had a series of citations for safety violations, the Associated Press reports.
The injuries arose from two separate blasts about 25 minutes apart, and their cause is still unknown. The second blast killed an employee who one co-worker said had gone inside the factory to make sure everyone had gotten out of the building.
The factory, Verla International in New Windsor, New York, had been cited for nine safety violations this year by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the AP reported. One of the violations was related to the handling of flammable and combustible liquids and another to the maintenance of exit routes. The company agreed to pay $41,000 in penalties.
The majority of the injuries were reported to be non-life-threatening. According to NBC New York, environmental officials arrived to monitor the air and water around the factory, and state and local authorities are investigating the causes of the explosions.
